dave marks walking bass lessons

Dave Marks Walking Bass Lessons on Youtube: Lesson 1

We are using a chord progression with 3 chord types: Min 7 (Root – Flat 3rd – Perfect 5th – Flat 7th) Dominant 7 (Root – Maj 3rd – Perfect 5th – Flat 7th) Major 7 (Root – Maj 3rd – Perfect 5th – Natural 7th) Our progression is a II - V - I in the Key of C Major. If we look at all of the 4 note chords formed in the Key of C Major, we get: Thus a II V I progression has the chords: D min7 – G7 – C Maj7 II V I

Exercise 1.

• Play 4 note arpeggios. • Start on the root note of each chord. • Ascend for every chord. • Wherever possible, use shapes that stay in position. (I.e. you don’t

have to move your hand up or down the neck)

Play these arpeggios in all 12 keys around the cycle of fourths. The purpose of this lesson is purely to get your hands familiar with the shapes that we use to play over these chord types. This exercise is great for your left hand technique, using one finger per fret ideas and getting you used to playing in position.

C Maj7 D min7 E min7 F Maj7 G7 A min7 B min7 (b5) I II III IV V VI VII

Make sure to start slowly and learn the shapes. This does not need to be done with a metronome, drum machine or click. Once you have learned the shapes and your hand is comfortable with the movements, practice along to a click or a playalong drum track. Start slowly and aim for a good tone, even dynamics and a steady, solid feel. Enjoy practicing and tune in next week! Dave


We are using a chord progression with 3 chord types: Min 7 (Root – Flat 3rd – Perfect 5th – Flat 7th) Dominant 7 (Root – Maj 3rd – Perfect 5th – Flat 7th) Major 7 (Root – Maj 3rd – Perfect 5th – Natural 7th) Our progression is a II - V - I in the Key of C Major. If we look at all of the 4 note chords formed in the Key of C Major, we get: Thus a II V I progression has the chords: D min7 – G7 – C Maj7 II V I

Exercise 2.

• Play 4 note arpeggios. • Start on the root note of each chord. • Ascend for one chord and descend for the next.

This pattern allows two possibilities: 01: Ascend D min7 – Descend G7 – Ascend C Maj7

C Maj7 D min7 E min7 F Maj7 G7 A min7 B min7 (b5) I II III IV V VI VII

02: Descend D min7 – Ascend G7 – Descend C Maj7

Play these arpeggios in all 12 keys around the cycle of fourths. The purpose of this lesson is to take the shapes that we learned last week and to get comfortable playing them as an ascending shape or a descending shape. Once you feel comfortable with this idea, try these combinations: 1. All chords descending. 2. Ascend D min7, descend G7 & C Maj7. 3. Ascend D min7 & G7, descend C Maj7. 4. Descend D min7, ascend G7 & C Maj7. 5. Descend D min7 & G7, ascend C Maj7. Make sure to start slowly and learn the shapes. This does not need to be done with a metronome, drum machine or click. Once you have learned the shape and your hand is comfortable with the movements, practice along to a click or a playalong drum track. Start slowly and aim for a good tone, even dynamics and a steady, solid feel. Enjoy practicing and tune in next week! Dave


We are using a chord progression with 3 chord types: Min 7 (Root – Flat 3rd – Perfect 5th – Flat 7th) Dominant 7 (Root – Maj 3rd – Perfect 5th – Flat 7th) Major 7 (Root – Maj 3rd – Perfect 5th – Natural 7th)

Exercise 3.

• Select one of the chord types that we are using (e.g. min7) • Begin with C as your root note. (I.e. our 1st chord will be C min7) • Start on the root note and play an ascending 4-note arpeggio. This is a

root position arpeggio.

• Now start on the 3rd of the chord and play an ascending 4-note arpeggio. This is a 1st

inversion arpeggio.

In the first two lessons, we started all of our shapes from the root note. As bass players, we are taught that the root note is very important and that it helps us to compliment whatever chord the guitar or piano is playing. This is true, but we can use other notes within the chord, which are perfectly acceptable, help to compliment the sound of the chord, but add a little harmonic twist.

Now try the same system for a Dominant 7 chord.

And finally the same thing for a Major 7 Chord.

1. When the shapes feel comfortable and familiar in the key of C, play them in all 12 keys, moving around the cycle of fourths. 2. Next, try calling out the name of the interval that you are playing on each note. (E.g. ‘Root’, ‘Flat third’, ‘Fifth’ ‘Flat Seventh’ etc..) 3. Once you are comfortable and have the intervallic structure of each chord type in your head, call out the names of each of the notes that you are playing, as you play them. (E.g. ‘C’, ‘E Flat’, ‘G’, ‘B Flat’ etc) 4. Make sure to start slowly and learn the shapes. This does not need to be done with a metronome, drum machine or click. 5. Once you have learned the shape and your hand is comfortable with the movements, practice along to a click or a playalong drum track. Start slowly and aim for a good tone, even dynamics and a steady, solid feel. Enjoy practicing and tune in next week!


We are using a chord progression with 3 chord types: Min 7 (Root – Flat 3rd – Perfect 5th – Flat 7th) Dominant 7 (Root – Maj 3rd – Perfect 5th – Flat 7th) Major 7 (Root – Maj 3rd – Perfect 5th – Natural 7th)

Exercise 4.

• Select one of the chord types that we are using (e.g. min7) • Begin with C as your root note. (I.e. Our 1st chord will be C min7) • Last week we looked at our Root position and 1st

Inversion shapes.

• This week, we start on the fifth of our min7 chord and play an ascending 4-note arpeggio. This is a 2nd

inversion arpeggio.

• Now start on the b7th of the chord and play an ascending 4-note arpeggio. This is a 3rd

inversion arpeggio.

Last week we looked at Root position Chords and 1st inversions. This week, we’re going on to our 2nd and 3rd inversion shapes.

Now try the same system for a Dominant 7 chord.

And finally the same thing for a Major 7 Chord.

You may wish to play the 2nd and 3rd inversions from this week’s lesson alone or create a sequence, where you play root position – 1st inversion – 2nd inversion – 3rd inversion (combining last weeks shapes and this week’s shapes). Either is good, as we are initially just getting our hands around the shapes. 1. When the shapes feel comfortable and familiar in the key of C, play them in all 12 keys, moving around the cycle of fourths. 2. Next, try calling out the name of the interval that you are playing on each note. (E.g. ‘Fifth’, ‘Flat Seventh’, ‘Root’, ‘Flat Third’ etc..) 3. Once you are comfortable and have the intervallic structure of each chord type in your head, call out the names of each of the notes that you are playing, as you play them. (E.g. ‘G’, ‘B Flat’,‘C’, ‘E Flat’, etc.) 4. Make sure to start slowly and learn the shapes. This does not need to be done with a metronome, drum machine or click. 5. Once you have learned the shapes and your hand is comfortable with the movements, practice along to a click or a playalong drum track. Start slowly and aim for a good tone, even dynamics and a steady, solid feel. Enjoy practicing and tune in next week!


We are using a chord progression with 3 chord types:

Min 7 (Root – Flat 3rd – Perfect 5th – Flat 7th)

Dominant 7 (Root – Maj 3rd – Perfect 5th – Flat 7th)

Major 7 (Root – Maj 3rd – Perfect 5th – Natural 7th)

Exercise 5.

• We will be playing our II – V – I progression in the Key of C Major. This

week, our concept is to create a system that we can use to explore all

of the possibilities of ascending and descending 4 note chords and

their inversions.

• To begin with, we!ll play all of our shapes ascending.

• We!ll start by moving the V chord - G7 through all of its inversions. This

means that we begin and end each time on familiar territory. I!ve

omitted the G7 Root position arpeggio because we!ve used that shape

in all of our previous exercises. You can add it in at the start of the

exercise if you like.

• Our chords are: D min7 – G7 – C Maj7

II V I

In the first two weeks, we looked at playing four note chords as arpeggios. We played these: Ascending: Root – 3rd – 5th – 7th

Descending: Root – 7th – 5th – 3rd

In weeks 3 & 4, we looked at playing each chord starting from any note in that chord. Starting from the Root: Root – 3

rd – 5

th – 7

th Root Position

Starting from the 3rd: 3

rd – 5

th – 7

th – Root 1st

Inversion

Starting from the 5th: 5th

– 7th

– Root – 3rd 2nd

Inversion

Starting from the 7th: 7

th – Root – 3

rd – 5

th 3rd Inversion

• Play the D min7 root position arpeggio. (D – F – A – C)

• Now play the G7 1st inversion arpeggio. (B – D – F – G)

• Finally, play the C Maj7 Root position arpeggio. (C – E –G – B)


• Now play the G7 2nd inversion arpeggio. (D – F – G – B)



• Now play the G7 3rd inversion arpeggio. (F – G –B – D)


This exercise can be played two different ways. The note we start G7 3rd

inversion from is F, so we have access to it from the 3rd fret of the D string

or one octave below, from the 1st fret of the E String. Either way, you have

to move out of position, so both can be considered equally good options.

Once you have this idea down, you can move the D min7 chord through

each of it!s inversions, but keep the G7 and C Maj7 as root position

chords:

Finally, we!ll move the C Maj7 chord through each of its inversions, but keep

the D min7 and G7 as Root Position chords:

1. What I!ve listed here is just the tip of the iceberg. If you think about it,

we!ve used a very straightforward system:

2. All arpeggios Ascending. (Try them with all descending…)

3. 2 Chords in Root Position, one moves through Inversions.

Exercise D min7 G7 C Maj7

01 Root Position 1st Inversion Root Position

02 Root Position 2nd

Inversion Root Position

03 Root Position 3rd Inversion Root Position

04 1st Inversion Root Position Root Position

05 2nd

Inversion Root Position Root Position

06 3rd Inversion Root Position Root Position

07 Root Position Root Position 1st Inversion

08 Root Position Root Position 2nd

Inversion

09 Root Position Root Position 3rd Inversion


We are using a chord progression with 3 chord types:

Min 7 (Root – Flat 3rd – Perfect 5th – Flat 7th)

Dominant 7 (Root – Maj 3rd – Perfect 5th – Flat 7th)

Major 7 (Root – Maj 3rd – Perfect 5th – Natural 7th)

I!ve written out an entire system that covers every combination of Root

Position, 1st, 2nd, and 3rd inversions possible. There are 64 possibilities in total.

It may sound like a lot, but if you know your shapes well, you should be able

to get through all of them in less than 10 minutes.

Starting on a Root position chord every time.


01 Root Position Root Position Root Position

02 Root Position Root Position 1st Inversion

03 Root Position Root Position 2nd

Inversion

04 Root Position Root Position 3rd Inversion

05 Root Position 1st Inversion Root Position

06 Root Position 1st Inversion 1

st Inversion


nd Inversion


rd Inversion




Inversion 1st Inversion


Inversion 2nd

Inversion


Inversion 3rd Inversion

13 Root Position 3rd Inversion Root Position

14 Root Position 3rd Inversion 1

st Inversion


nd Inversion


rd Inversion

Starting on a 1st Inversion every time.


01 1st Inversion Root Position Root Position

02 1st Inversion Root Position 1

st Inversion


nd Inversion


rd Inversion

05 1st Inversion 1

st Inversion Root Position

06 1st Inversion 1

st Inversion 1

st Inversion

07 1st Inversion 1

st Inversion 2

nd Inversion

08 1st Inversion 1

st Inversion 3

rd Inversion

09 1st Inversion 2

nd Inversion Root Position

10 1st Inversion 2

nd Inversion 1

st Inversion

11 1st Inversion 2

nd Inversion 2

nd Inversion

12 1st Inversion 2

nd Inversion 3

rd Inversion

13 1st Inversion 3

rd Inversion Root Position

14 1st Inversion 3

rd Inversion 1

st Inversion

15 1st Inversion 3

rd Inversion 2

nd Inversion

16 1st Inversion 3

rd Inversion 3

rd Inversion

Starting on a 2nd Inversion every time.


01 2nd

Inversion Root Position Root Position

02 2nd

Inversion Root Position 1st Inversion

03 2nd

Inversion Root Position 2nd

Inversion

04 2nd

Inversion Root Position 3rd Inversion

05 2nd

Inversion 1st Inversion Root Position

06 2nd

Inversion 1st Inversion 1

st Inversion

07 2nd


nd Inversion

08 2nd


rd Inversion

09 2nd

Inversion 2nd


10 2nd

Inversion 2nd

Inversion 1st Inversion

11 2nd

Inversion 2nd

Inversion 2nd

Inversion

12 2nd

Inversion 2nd

Inversion 3rd Inversion

13 2nd

Inversion 3rd Inversion Root Position

14 2nd

Inversion 3rd Inversion 1

st Inversion

15 2nd


nd Inversion

16 2nd


rd Inversion

Starting on a 3rd Inversion every time.

1. This may seem like a very mathematical and machine-like way of

practicing music, but in the world of improvisation, we define ourselves

by the choices that we make. By going through all of the possible

choices, we have a larger "bag of tricks! to pull things from.

2. When you perform, the process should not be careful or conscious. If

you practice in a disciplined and structured way, you can get onstage

and "trust yourself!. If you!ve practiced well, when you hear or imagine a

sound, the right notes will come from your hands. But first…. The

practice!

Enjoy practicing and tune in next week!


01 3rd Inversion Root Position Root Position

02 3rd Inversion Root Position 1

st Inversion


nd Inversion


rd Inversion

05 3rd Inversion 1

st Inversion Root Position

06 3rd Inversion 1

st Inversion 1

st Inversion

07 3rd Inversion 1

st Inversion 2

nd Inversion

08 3rd Inversion 1

st Inversion 3

rd Inversion

09 3rd Inversion 2

nd Inversion Root Position

10 3rd Inversion 2

nd Inversion 1

st Inversion

11 3rd Inversion 2

nd Inversion 2

nd Inversion

12 3rd Inversion 2

nd Inversion 3

rd Inversion

13 3rd Inversion 3

rd Inversion Root Position

14 3rd Inversion 3

rd Inversion 1

st Inversion

15 3rd Inversion 3

rd Inversion 2

nd Inversion

16 3rd Inversion 3

rd Inversion 3

rd Inversion


This week, we are going to introduce a new chord type. In all of the previous lessons, we have used 3 chord types: Major 7 (Root – Maj 3rd – Perfect 5th – Natural 7th) Dominant 7 (Root – Maj 3rd – Perfect 5th – Flat 7th) Min 7 (Root – Flat 3rd – Perfect 5th – Flat 7th) Exercise 7. This week we are going to learn about the min7 (b5) chord (also known as the ‘half diminished’) As its name suggests, this chord shape is just like a minor 7 chord, but with the 5th flattened. (I.e. moved down by 1 fret.) Lets compare the 2 chord types: Minor 7 shape (Root, b3rd, 5th, b7th)

Min 7 b5 shape (Root, b3rd, b5th, b7th)

Now that you know this shape, we’re ready to start looking at a song that uses all of the chords we’ve learned so far. The chord progression I’ve used is based on the popular Jazz standard ‘Autumn Leaves’ and we’ll be using it to explore some different options in walking bassline construction. For this week’s lesson, you simply have to play each of the arpeggios, starting from the root note. The key here is not to play fast or even to make it groove in time, we simply want to identify where on the neck each of the root notes are and then play the correct 4 note arpeggio.

1. Work through these changes slowly and make sure you know your shapes. As you improve, start playing it in time with a drummer, drum machine or groove sample.



Recap: In last week’s lesson, learned about a new chord type: Min 7 b5 shape (Root, b3rd, b5th, b7th)

We should still be working with the 3 chord types we looked at before…. Major 7 (Root – Maj 3rd – Perfect 5th – Natural 7th) Dominant 7 (Root – Maj 3rd – Perfect 5th – Flat 7th) Min 7 (Root – Flat 3rd – Perfect 5th – Flat 7th) Exercise 8. This week, we are going to explore ways of connecting together the chords in our progression. The problem we have if we just play root position arpeggios in every bar is that the last note of bar 1 and the first note of bar 2 aren’t close together – they don’t make a smooth, flowing line. Let’s use ‘2 in a bar’ feel. This is where you play on beats 1 and 3. If you’ve learned your arpeggios well, this exercise should be quite easy.

• For every chord, start on the root note and then play the 3rd. (It will be a Major or minor 3rd depending on the chord type)

• For every chord, start on the root note and then play the 5th. (It will be a

perfect 5th on all the chords except the F#m7 b5 – that has a b5)

• Start to mix up the options here – play root - 3rd on some chords and root - 5th on others. Explore the possibilities.

• If a chord lasts for 2 bars, you can simply repeat the root and 3rd.

• If a chord only lasts for half a bar, just play the root note.

I’ve written out the first 8 bars with a line that uses the root - 3rd pattern. In this example, I’ve always used a low root note and gone to the 3rd above every time.

Although this type of pattern means a lot of position shifting, we are trying to learn about connecting together chords. I’ve marked in the nice connections when we have a tone or semitone leading into the next root note. Eventually, we will be able to connect together chords in position, but for now the most important thing is knowing your root notes, 3rds and 5ths and being able to confidently move between them.

1. Work through these changes slowly and make sure you know your shapes. As you improve, start playing it in time with a drummer, drum machine or groove sample.



Recap: In last week’s lesson, we looked at using 2 in a bar feel and playing Root – 3rd or Root – 5th for each chord. Exercise 9. This week, we are going to present six different options for linking up the first four chords in the chart. Again, let’s use ‘2 in a bar’ feel. This is where you play on beats 1 and 3. Each of the exercises has a certain ‘shape’ or contour.

• Ex. 01 is an ascending line that only changes direction in the last note (if we are playing in position, we have to change the direction of the line)

• Ex. 02, 03 & 04 all create lines within a limited range e.g. – 1 octave. • Ex 05 & 06 explore the possibilities missing up 3rds in the octave above

the root note and 3rds in the octave below the root note.

Instead of trying to learn these lines as a lick or pattern, try and focus on what the notes are doing – think more about ‘creating an ascending line with 3rds’ or ‘playing 3rds within a small range’. That way, when you play over a different chord progression or play in a different key, it’s much easier to translate the concept, rather than trying to figure out new fingerings for a ‘lick’.

1. Play through these examples and then try some ideas of your own.

2. When you feel comfortable playing around with 3rds, start all over again with 5ths.

3. It’s a great idea for you to write out ideas that you have. Transcribing is

an incredibly valuable skill and it means you can build up a body of work… your own lines!


dave marks walking bass lessons

Documents

d min7 g7 c maj7

root flat

min7 b min7 b5

chord progression

root note

key of c major

root maj

chord types